如果您曾经在硬盘驱动器上安装了新的Windows(Windows)副本，系统可能会要求您选择要使用的驱动器分区标准。通常在主引导记录(Master Boot Record)( MBR ) 和GUID 分区表(GUID Partition Table)( GPT ) 之间进行选择。
大多数用户可能不知道这两个选项之间的区别，既然您在这里，我们怀疑您也不知道。如果您有一台现代计算机，那么您的系统驱动器很可能是新奇的SSD，那么哪种选择最适合这种驱动器技术？
系好安全带(Buckle)，因为答案需要一个非常小的历史课和一些你今天没想到会学习的硬盘技术背景。
MBR 与 GPT
MBR是用于跟踪硬盘驱动器上的分区的传统系统。它在 80 年代初与PC DOS 2.0和IBM PC XT一起首次推出。从那时起，它成为标准的分区表解决方案以及管理多个可引导分区的方式。
GPT是MBR的官方替代品，与取代传统BIOS的新(BIOS)UEFI计算机固件标准一起被引入。
这两种类型的分区表在各个方面都有所不同，但是您需要知道的最重要的事情是GPT是较新的标准，并且通常优于MBR。这并不意味着MBR已经死了！许多计算机仍然使用传统的非 UEFI BIOS，而新计算机完全能够使用MBR磁盘。
什么是分区以及为什么要使用它们(Use Them)？
此选择的主要影响会影响驱动器分区的性质。分区是物理硬盘的虚拟分割。例如，您可以将 2TB 驱动器分区为 1TB 可引导分区和 1TB 用于数据存储的分区。
你为什么要这样做？在这种情况下，这意味着您可以格式化系统分区并重新安装操作系统，而无需触及其他分区上的任何内容。
分区可以创建具有不同操作系统的多个可引导分区。对于需要同时使用Linux和Windows为每个分区创建分区然后在启动时选择他们选择的操作系统的用户来说，这是很常见的。
分区也用于恢复目的。例如，大多数笔记本电脑在主系统驱动器上都有一个受保护的分区，其中包含可以将机器恢复到出厂默认设置的软件和数据。除此之外，分区还有更多用途，但这些是最重要的用途。
与使用多个物理驱动器相比，使用分区的缺点是会降低性能。由于分区存在于同一物理驱动器上，因此可能存在访问争用。然而，在现代SSD上，这个问题在很大程度上得到了解决。
有趣的是，对驱动器进行分区的相反方法是将多个物理驱动器组合成一个虚拟驱动器。这可以提供惊人的性能和冗余优势。查看HDD Raid 与 SSD Raid：您应该了解的主要差异(HDD Raid Vs SSD Raid: The Major Differences You Should Know)以获取更多信息。
为什么 SSD 很特别？
为什么人们会专门针对SSD提出(SSDs)MBR与GPT的问题？固态(Solid)驱动器正在成为标准的计算机驱动技术。它们比机械驱动器更可靠，而且速度更快。
但是，SSD(SSDs)带有自己的问题列表。其中最主要的就是(Chief)SSD磨损(SSD wear and tear)现象。向SSD(SSD)写入(Write)数据的次数过多，驱动器切换到只读模式并已达到其使用寿命。
为了帮助延长SSD(SSDs)的使用寿命并充分发挥其性能，使用针对SSD存储进行优化的标准对其进行格式化非常重要。对于将是NTFS的(NTFS)Windows系统，对于 macOS 将是APFS。您还应该使用支持 SSD(SSD-aware)并知道如何正确处理它们的现代操作系统。
鉴于所有关于在 SSD 上使用错误格式或软件的可怕警告，(SSDs)人们想知道MBR还是GPT最适合SSD是可以理解的。
简短的回答是您应该使用GPT。长答案取决于几个因素，这些因素可能会影响您在特定情况下的选择。
一切都是关于引导
MBR 每个驱动器只能有四个可引导的“主”分区。您可以拥有更多分区，但这些是存在于特殊扩展分区类型中的“逻辑”分区。
老实说，对于大多数人来说，启动分区比您需要的要多。如果不是，您唯一的选择是GPT，它支持多达 128 个可引导分区。
这不是两个分区表标准之间唯一与引导相关的区别。如果您使用的是具有传统BIOS而不是较新的UEFI实现的计算机，则无法从使用GPT的驱动器启动。这样的驱动器仍然可以被基于BIOS的计算机读取，只是无法从它启动。因此，您无需担心外部驱动器。
操作系统兼容性
GPT与早于(GPT)Windows 8的(Windows 8)Windows操作系统不兼容。因此，如果您想运行那些较旧的操作系统，您别无选择，只能使用MBR。如果您在基于 BIOS 的计算机上运行该操作系统，那当然是一个没有实际意义的问题，正如我们上面刚刚解释的那样。
如果您有特定原因要在现代计算机上以多引导配置运行较旧的操作系统，请考虑在虚拟机中运行它。例如，如果您仍然需要某个仅适用于Windows XP的特定应用程序，则使用(Windows XP)VirtualBox之类的东西应该可以正常运行。
从 MBR(From MBR)转换为 GPT：您应该这样做吗？
可以从MBR转换为GPT，但这通常涉及删除磁盘上的所有数据。同样(Likewise)，存在进行就地转换的方法，但是您需要备份所有数据以确保安全，因此没有什么意义。
仅当MBR(MBR)以某种方式限制您时，才值得将现有磁盘从MBR转换为GPT 。我们不建议无特定理由这样做。如果您真的想要，您应该等待下次格式化驱动器进行更改。
MBR 与 GPT 对 SSD 重要吗？
使用SSD(SSD)与选择MBR或GPT之间没有直接联系。话虽如此，您最好在任何基于 UEFI 的计算机上使用GPT作为较新的标准。如果您在基于 BIOS 的计算机上使用SSD并且想要从磁盘启动，那么MBR是您唯一的选择。
由于SSD(SSDs)的容量往往要小得多，因此MBR的 2TB 容量限制几乎不会发挥作用。此外，SSD(SSDs)的平均尺寸较小，因此您不太可能需要许多可引导分区。
重要的是GPT提供了快速、稳定和强大的启动体验。因为GPT在驱动器周围传播重要的分区表信息，与MBR不同，它可以从只影响一个分区的驱动器损坏中恢复。这样就可以重建丢失的引导记录数据。
这不是一个主要的选择，但是当您被问及特定计算机可以使用更新的标准时，GPT几乎总是正确的选择。
MBR vs GPT: Which Format Is Better for an SSD Drive?
If you eνer install a fresh copy of Windows on a hard drive, yoυ may be askеd to choose what drive partitіoning standаrd you want to use. The choice is usually between Master Boot Record (MBR) and GUID Partition Table (GPT).
Most users probably don’t know the difference between these two options and since you’re here, we suspect neither do you. If you have a modern computer, it’s quite likely that your system drive is a newfangled SSD, so which choice is the right one for that type of drive technology?
Buckle up, because the answer requires a very minor history lesson and some background about hard drive technology you didn’t expect to learn today.
MBR vs GPT
MBR is the traditional system for keeping track of the partitions on a hard drive. It was first introduced in the early 80s along with PC DOS 2.0 and the IBM PC XT. Since then, it became the standard partition table solution as well as a way to manage multiple bootable partitions.
GPT is the official replacement for MBR and was ushered in along with the new UEFI computer firmware standard, which replaced the traditional BIOS.
The two types of partition tables differ in various respects, but the most important thing you need to know is that GPT is the newer standard and is generally superior to MBR. That doesn’t mean that MBR is dead! Plenty of computers still use a traditional non-UEFI BIOS and new computers are perfectly capable of using MBR disks.
What Are Partitions and Why Use Them?
The main impact this choice has affects the nature of your drive partitions. A partition is a virtual splitting of your physical hard drive. For example, you could partition a 2TB drive into a 1TB bootable partition and a 1TB partition for data storage.
Why would you do this? In that scenario it would mean that you could format the system partition and reinstall the operating system without touching anything on the other partition.
Partitioning can create multiple bootable partitions with different operating systems. It’s common for users who need to use both Linux and Windows to create partitions for each and then choose the OS of their choice at boot.
Partitions are also used for recovery purposes. For example, most laptops have a protected partition on the main system drive that contains software and data which can restore the machine back to its factory default. There are more uses for partitions besides this, but those are the most important ones.
The downside of using partitions compared to using multiple physical drives, is that there’s a performance penalty. Since the partitions exist on the same physical drive, there can be access contention. On a modern SSD however, this problem is largely solved.
Interestingly, the opposite approach of partitioning a drive is combining multiple physical drives into one virtual drive. This can offer amazing performance and redundancy advantages. Have a look at HDD Raid Vs SSD Raid: The Major Differences You Should Know for more information.
Why Are SSDs Special?
Why do people ask the MBR vs GPT question specifically with regards to SSDs? Solid state drives are becoming the standard computer drive technology. They’re much more reliable than mechanical drives and much, much faster.
However, SSDs come with a list of their own problems. Chief of which is the phenomenon of SSD wear and tear. Write data to an SSD too many times and the drive switches to a read-only mode and has reached the end of its life.
To help extend the life of SSDs and get the most performance out of them, it’s important to format them using a standard that’s optimized for SSD storage. For Windows systems that would be NTFS, for macOS it would be APFS. You should also use a modern operating system that’s SSD-aware and knows how to handle them correctly.
Given all the dire warnings around using the wrong formats or software with SSDs, it’s understandable that people wonder whether MBR or GPT is best for an SSD.
The short answer is that you should use GPT. The long answer depends on a few factors which could influence the choice in your specific situation.
It’s All About Booting
MBR can only have four bootable “primary” partitions per drive. You can have more partitions, but these are “logical” partitions that exist within a special extended partition type.
Honestly, for most people that’s more boot partitions than you need. If it isn’t, your only choice is GPT, which has support for a whopping 128 bootable partitions.
That’s not the only boot-related difference between the two partition table standards. If you’re using a computer that has a traditional BIOS and not the newer UEFI implementation, then you can’t boot from a drive that uses GPT. Such a drive can still be read by a BIOS-based computer, it just can’t boot from it. So you don’t need to worry about external drives.
Operating System Compatibility
GPT is incompatible with Windows operating systems predating Windows 8. So if you want to run those older operating systems, you’ll have no choice but to use MBR. If you’re running that OS on a BIOS-based computer it’s rather a moot point of course, as we just explained above.
If you have a specific reason you want to run an older operating system in a multi-boot configuration on a modern computer, consider running it in a virtual machine instead. For example, if there’s a specific application that only works in Windows XP that you still need, it should run just fine using something like VirtualBox.
Converting From MBR to GPT: Should You?
It’s possible to convert from MBR to GPT, but this usually involves deleting all the data on the disk. Likewise, methods for doing an in-place conversion exist, but you need to back up all the data to be safe, so there’s little point.
Converting an existing disk from MBR to GPT is only worth doing if MBR is limiting you in some way. We don’t recommend doing it for no specific reason. If you really want to, you should wait for the next time you format the drive to make the change.
Does MBR vs GPT Matter for SSDs?
There is no direct connection between using an SSD and choosing either MBR or GPT. That being said, you’re better off using GPT as the newer standard on any UEFI-based computer. If you’re using an SSD with a BIOS-based computer and you want to boot from the disk, MBR is your only choice.
Since SSDs tend to be much smaller in capacity, the 2TB capacity limit of MBR hardly ever comes into play. Also, the small average size of SSDs makes it unlikely that you’ll need many bootable partitions on it.
What does matter is that GPT offers a fast, stable and robust booting experience. Because GPT spreads crucial partition table information around the drive, unlike MBR, it can recover from drive corruption that affects only one partition. So that lost boot record data can be rebuilt.
It’s not a major choice, but when you’re asked and the specific computer can use the newer standard, GPT is almost always the right way to go.
